Put Away Your Divine Techniques Now!

Chen Yan's pant legs and elbows were smeared with a lot of dirt. The dirt was damp, and once wiped, it mixed into the fabric, and couldn't be cleaned.

Suppressing his surprise and anxiety for the time being, Chen Yan carefully examined the surrounding environment.

Is it... a Secret Realm?

Similar to the one he experienced in Japan, the Secret Realm created by the Magical Treasure, the Ring?

Hmm, right, there's also a transmission of will within the Ring, so there's an Artifact Spirit inside the Ring?

He stared at the surrounding forest...

The strange trees in the forest looked anything but benign, like those eerie forests with monsters in fairy tales or movies he had seen as a child.

Even the trees seemed to emanate an eerie Ghost Qi.

All around him was a dense forest that seemed endless, which made Chen Yan a bit troubled.

Logically, he should walk around; maybe he'd discover something. But at this moment, there were no stars or moon in the sky, and the branches of these trees grew in peculiar ways, making it hard to discern directions.

He took out his phone and turned on the little compass app, but to his dismay, it malfunctioned.

There naturally was no signal either.

The thick fog in the forest mixed with the air, and when inhaled, it gave a cold, damp feeling. Chen Yan tightened his clothes forcefully.

He had come down from the bed in his bedroom to go to the training room, without any intention of going outside, so he was wearing home clothes—not too thick, considering there was underfloor heating at home, maintaining over 25 degrees even in winter.

What made him even more helpless was that he wasn't wearing socks, just a pair of slippers.

Fortunately, the Alchemy Furnace hanging around his neck, serving as storage equipment, hadn't been taken off, and there were clothes inside.

But just as Chen Yan tried to take things out from the Alchemy Furnace, his expression changed!

The Alchemy Furnace had no response!

No, more accurately, it wasn't the Alchemy Furnace that didn't respond, but...

"The Primordial Qi can't be activated?"

Chen Yan's heart immediately sank.

He retreated to the base of a strange tree, his thoughts racing quickly in his mind.

Don't panic! Stay calm!

In major events, maintain composure!

After repeatedly reminding himself, Chen Yan lifted his head, his eyes much more composed.

The strange tree behind him felt icy to the touch, almost like metal, with a wet feeling as well.

He felt increasingly cold; the chill here was oppressive, yet there was no ice forming.

He couldn't stay in place; he had to explore the surroundings.

Looking at the almost identical darkness around him, Chen Yan frowned.

Since he couldn't distinguish directions, he had to rely on sheer luck.

"My luck shouldn't be bad."

Chen Yan casually picked up a broken branch from the ground and threw it upwards.

The branch fell to the ground, and he walked in the direction the tip pointed.

After a few steps, he turned back to pick up the broken branch.

The thing felt very hard, unlike ordinary brittle dead branches, and could be a handy tool or weapon, especially now when he was bare-handed with no Primordial Qi.

If he encountered any danger, like a Spirit Monster or wild animal, he certainly couldn't use his slippers as a weapon.

The branch was about as long as two chopsticks, very hard, almost like an iron rod.

·

Chen Yan walked in a straight line through the forest—at least he judged it to be straight.

This was difficult to guarantee, because in a place with no reference points, people often think they are walking straight but end up veering off course.

A person's legs aren't precisely equal in length; there are always subtle differences. Over time, differences in leg and foot muscle exertion and stride will cause a person to deviate without reference points.

After walking for about seven to eight minutes, Chen Yan felt his body was nearly frozen.

Fortunately, although he couldn't mobilize Primordial Qi, his Essence Nourished body was still strong enough.

He didn't have issues with physical strength, only significant heat loss.

Along the way, Chen Yan picked up on a few subtle clues.

This forest was very quiet.

No bird chirping was heard, nor had he encountered snakes, mice, or insects.

The air and ground were damp, and beneath his feet, besides wet soil, were some broken branches and fallen leaves.

The branches were hard and cold, while the fallen leaves were more normal, either fragile or muddy.

After walking for ten minutes, Chen Yan found a slightly longer tree stick. This stick was longer and straighter, suitable for use as a probing stick in the forest or as a cane.

His slippers were muddied, and his feet, exposed in this damp, cold environment, were becoming numb from the cold.

He shouted loudly a few times along the way, but received no response.

None of his Magical Treasures or weapons could be accessed—talisman papers or even the Origami Box were unreachable.

Though Chen Yan had one thing he was curious about...

The Ring was still on his left thumb.

So...

"I'm not inside the Ring? But rather in a space the Ring created, a Secret Realm?"

Fortunately, after about half an hour of walking, Chen Yan's luck was not too bad after all!

The forest ahead seemed to reach its edge, with trees becoming sparser.

What moved Chen Yan was that he found some traces.

On the ground, he found several tree stumps!